


A Noise At The Stairs

by moonbehindmountain



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: M/M, Puppy Zack Fair, Zack Fair Lives, cloud and zack get a cat, cloud strife x zack fair, wholesome ff7, wholesome himbo zack fair, zack fair x cloud strife, zakkura
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26688739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonbehindmountain/pseuds/moonbehindmountain
Summary: Zack Fair and Cloud Strife are running late for a SOLDIER awards ceremony. But Zack hears a noise at the bottom of the stairs. What could it be?
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Kudos: 51





	A Noise At The Stairs

**Author's Note:**

> An AU written from how I think they characters would react if they were dating and in this kind of situation. Thank you for reading!

Cloud Strife stands over a bathroom sink brushing his teeth aggressively. He’s already dressed in a clean white button down and dark jeans.

“Hey, hurry up,” he says loudly with a mouth full of bubbly toothpaste, then spits it into the sink. “We’re gonna be late knowing how long it takes you to dry your hair.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Zack Fair says casually while standing naked in front of the small shower mirror, carefully shaving the last of his shaving cream slathered chin with a safety razor. “What, you think they’d start without us? A SOLDIER awards ceremony without Zack Fair isn’t a party worth having if you ask me.” 

He cups hot water in his hands and rinses his face, running the last of the water over his hair. The tap turns off with a loud squeak. He steps out of the shower and Cloud throws a towel in his direction. Cloud checks his watch then tucks his hands into his pockets. 

“You think they’re gonna have food?” Zack says rubbing his hair over with the towel. 

“Of course they are, this is Shinra Electric Power Company we’re talking about. The real question is going to be how long this thing lasts. I guess Rufus Shinra is supposed to make a speech and you know he’s bound to pat himself on the back for whatever he does, walking around the office, looking over people’s shoulders, pretending to be important. I’ll tell you right now nobody takes him seriously. Not that that means anything, he’s still got the keys to the kingdom once the President goes while we’re here working our asses off.”

“Well, let’s let them make up with it with a few free drinks,” Zack laughs, slinging an arm around Cloud’s waist then nuzzling against his neck. “C’mon, lighten up and let’s have fun tonight, alright? I know you’re burnt that you haven’t made SOLDIER status yet, but you’ll get there, don’t worry babe.” 

Cloud inhales and exhales deeply. Zack loops his arms into his long-sleeved dark button down shirt and then latches the buttons. He slips into his dark slacks and latches the belt with a light clatter of metal. 

“I’ll get your tie, one second.” Cloud retreats into their small walk-in closet next to the bathroom and picks out an understated grey striped tie. 

“Here, this looks classy enough, right?” He slinks it around Zack’s neck, flipping up his collar then methodically knotting and adjusting it. Zack secures the knot then flips the collar back down. He’s blow drying his hair simultaneously. 

“Nice choice,” he says, eyeing himself in the mirror then winking. “I look even more like a stud than I normally do. But, you’re the only accessory I really need.” He grabs Cloud around his waist and tugs him to his hip, smotheringly.

“Oh my God,” Cloud says, rolling his eyes. He glances at his watch again. “Fifteen minutes.” 

“Wait!” He shoves Cloud off as he combs his hair with urgency. “Get my cologne and spritz me. I almost forgot.” 

Cloud retrieves a small vial from the medicine cabinet. The bottle looks ancient, almost humorously dramatic with its warbled glass and potion-like cap, almost like a stage prop. 

“I’ve always thought this thing was kind of ridiculous,” Cloud comments, uncapping it with a satisfying pop. 

“Mako infused or something...no, wait, stop! You gotta shake it up first,” Zack snatches it from Cloud’s hand, agitates it violently, the liquid glowing a gentle green upon emulsifying, then sprays himself once under each armpit. The scent is strong, but to Cloud the offtail of it is highly arousing. It’s the scent of Zack on special days. His chest wells with emotion, the scent flooding his mind plane with the memories of casual dates, friends’ weddings, visits to Sector 7 steakhouses.

Zack’s voice brings him back to reality. 

“Alright, ready! Let’s go,” he tosses his comb into the sink and throws the towel behind him onto the floor. “I’ll uh, I’ll clean that up later.” 

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Cloud says with a doubtful tone. 

Outside their apartment, Zack clicks the door shut and with a jangle of keys locks it. The night is cool, fresh, and the city is humming as it always does at night. Cloud is walking down the apartment steps to the parking lot where Fenrir is tucked underneath an awning illuminated by a fluorescent street lamp.

With a click of the fob the motorcycle blinks to life. Zack is trailing behind and Cloud’s getting impatient. 

“Hey, what are you waiting for?”

Zack is descending the stairs slowly, with a hand on the railing. 

“I heard something!”

“I started up the bike.”

“No, it was something else. One second.” 

Cloud sighs, exacerbated, and walks over to him. 

“We don’t have time, come on.” 

Zack is squatting in the apartment landscaping now, his hands resting on his thighs as he looks behind the dark stairwell. 

“Look!” He points, whispering.

Cloud hears it now. It’s a small sound, but it's there. 

“It’s a kitten!” Zack whispers after gasping, his voice tinged with enthusiasm and a bit of anxiety. The kitten meows in a tiny scratchy voice, its beady eyes glittering in the glow of the parking lot lights. “A kitten!” 

“I heard you the first time,” Cloud says, attempting to sound nonchalant. He sees the tiny figure huddled tightly against the metal stair framing. Zack holds out his fingers invitingly.

“C’mon little guy, nothing to be afraid of, just two giant looming figures in the darkness reaching out to pick you up.” The kitten’s eyes are wide, its breathing getting heavier, and its back fur prickling in defense. 

“Oh my God, it’s a calico kitten,” Zack whispers. “When you were a kid did you ever get barn kittens? It looks just like ones I’d see back home.”

Cloud did remember the stray cats that’d scurry across Nibelheim, often with a dead bird hanging from their mouths. He always had an affinity for them, a sort of mutual respect, for the solitary hunter-warriors who’d hiss at him if he ever got too close. 

“Yeah, I remember that,” he says quietly. 

“We can’t just leave it here, I think it’s hurt or something. It would’ve run off by now if it didn’t need help.” 

Cloud looks at his watch again. They’ll for sure be at least a half hour late now, if traffic is light. 

“C’mon, nobody will even notice if we aren’t there. We gotta help this little fella.” 

“How can we help it?” Cloud says callously. “It’s a wild creature, it probably can get by on its own.” 

“Alright tough guy, then you go alone to the ceremony, I’ll stay here and help.” 

Cloud sighs and squats next to him. “You know that’s not happening.” 

“Well?” Zack nudges Cloud, shoulder to shoulder, then creeps closer to the kitten, who has stopped meowing, on the balls of his feet. “Gotta be delicate, she’s probably gonna try to bite me.” 

“Here,” Cloud tosses him his thick leather riding gloves. 

“Thanks,” Zack says, slipping them on for slight protection. The rocks crackle under his dress shoes. “That’s it baby, I’ll be gentle don’t worry. We just wanna help you.” 

The kitten lets out a snarl and snaps back as Zack wraps his fingers around her. “I’ve got you! It’s okay!” 

Cloud is grimacing, recoiling in anxiety at the kitten’s reaction.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” he hesitates. 

“She’s fine, aren’t you?” Zack’s voice has gone to baby-tone as he lifts the kitten up and secures her close to his chest. She looks terrified, but doesn’t try to fight back. “Yes, you’re all good.” 

“Do you think it’s got a mom around or something?” Cloud attempts to problem solve. 

“No, she looks older than that,” Zack says, gently rubbing the top of her head with his pointer finger. The kitten’s eyes soften a bit at the touch.

“Oh, so you’re a kitten expert now, huh?” Cloud jokes, his voice still tinged with unease. 

“No, like I said we had some barn cats growing up, so I kind of know like their ages and stuff, I think. She’s probably a couple months old. C’mon, let’s get her inside, away from the street.” 

“Inside?” 

But before he can protest, Zack is already clambering up the steps back towards their apartment. 

Cloud was commanded to fold up a towel for the kitten to sit on. But it wasn’t of much use considering the kitten immediately retreated to a dark corner of their closet and hunkered down. 

“How about a bowl of water? And she’s probably hungry, what do we even have in here?” Zack rummages through their pantry, tossing aside boxes of pasta and bags of dried fruit. “Why do we have an old bottle of hot sauce in the back of the pantry? This thing’s open...” 

“I don’t know, couldn’t possibly have been your doing,” Cloud calls from the closet sarcastically. He’s monitoring the newcomer like a hawk, lying down on his hip with his head in his hand. The kitten bobs its head curiously at him, still distrusting, but sniffing the air to test it. It’s eyes are strikingly similar to his own, a deep sky blue. Cloud’s heart feels full at the kitten’s vulnerability, so frightened and small. He knows better than to reach for her right now. He can sense it: the kitten will approach him when she’s ready. She just needs time. 

“Here! I found this,” Zack enters rambunctiously with a bowl of some sort of oily fish meat.  
“We had that in the pantry?” Cloud says, plugging his nose at the offending odor. The smell triggered a faint memory of a distant dinner when Zack had attempted a recipe involving soggy bread, cheese, and canned fish.

“Here, I’ll set it down. Let’s see if she wants any.” The bowl clinks against the tile.

“She doesn’t seem hurt,” Cloud observes. “I think she’s just scared.” 

Something in Zack’s pocket buzzes loudly. He whips his phone out and slides through it. 

“Everyone’s wondering where I’m at. Here, I’ll snap a pic.”

Zack takes a quick horizontal picture of the kitten then sends off the text.

“You’re about to get roasted in the group chat,” Cloud smirks as his phone dings from the bedroom. 

“Yeah, so what?” Zack says confidently. “They’re probably just gonna be jealous that I have a legitimate excuse to dip out.” 

As they chat, the kitten has bravely stepped out from beyond its hiding spot. It approaches the bowl timidly, sniffing the edge of it with its pink nose. It cautiously reaches its head into it, then with a gentle lick and chomp begins munching at the food with tiny eating noises. 

Zack gasps. “See, she was super hungry.”

“Yeah, looks like it,” Cloud agrees. “I guess we can keep her tonight then try to call a shelter or something tomorrow.”

“Are you kidding me?” Zack grabs onto Cloud’s arm. “You don’t want to know what those shelters do with the animals they find. There’s...there’s rumors.”

“Yeah?” Cloud eyes him suspiciously.

“Yeah, it has to do with labs and testing and horrible things like that. Not the nice stuff like they advertise on TV. We are not taking her there, no sir.” 

“So then, you’re suggesting we keep her? Is that what you’re saying?” 

“Congratulations, Daddy, it’s a kitten!” Zack slaps Cloud gently on the back, tossing Cloud’s hair forward into his eyes. Cloud pushes it back behind his ear. 

“Zack, c’mon, we can’t keep a kitten in the apartment. There’s fees or something we’d have to pay.” 

“Who would know?” Zack shrugs. “Plus, a little company would do us good around here. She found us. It was meant to be.” 

Cloud looks over the tiny form again, her little mouth chomping hungrily at the food. She pauses as he looks down at her, her sky blue eyes shimmering up at his for a brief moment, assessing his threat level.  
She is awfully cute, with her orange, black, and white spots. And it would be kind of nice to have something to distract himself when he wasn’t training...

“Text your friend, you know, the one who’s good with cats? They’d probably have an idea of where to buy stuff to take care of her.” 

“I-I guess I could do that,” Cloud stutters. “But, you’re going to have to help me with, y’know, the poop stuff. Don’t expect it to all fall on me.”

“You got it, Cat Daddy.” Zack slings an arm around him, slowly as to not startle her while she eats. “Oh my God, we’re dads! Congratulations, honey!” He kisses Cloud on the cheek. Cloud blushes and brushes away the kiss on his skin. 

“Didn’t exactly see it happening like this,” Cloud admitted, “But I guess here we are.” 

The kitten slowly approachs Cloud’s thigh, sniffing cautiously, it’s little tail straight in vigilance. Cloud slowly opens his palm, offering it his fingers, which the kitten sniffs, then licks once before returning to its spot in the corner to curl up and sleep.


End file.
